Collingham Collapse

First Team match report, better late than never, which summed up the punctuality of most of the squad on Saturday! With Dale on family duty, the report comes courtesy of Bobby, so prepare yourself for an epic....

The temperature touched 30 degrees on Saturday and the 1st XI made their longest drive of the season up the A46 past Newark to one of the Counties leading grounds at Collingham CC.

Collingham were joint top of 1C, had won 6 on the spin and a challenge was in store, particularly as we were without keeper Beakey, stroke maker Benji, Dale ‘the finisher’ Collison and part time Superstar Ian Graham (barbecuing in Derbyshire??) - we have stopped mentioning Andy Hiller who we hope is in rehab after a sustained bought of ‘underthethumbitus’!!!

Despite these quality absentees, excitement was in the air with the news that the Club’s 2nd best batsman (Druers) had finally answered the call of promotion (an average of 100+ for the 2’s left him with no excuses strong enough to stay in NG12) so his presence coupled with a recent rise in form meant we were optimistic!

An excited Tinno was fit and guested as Skipper but in true Rendu style headed out to the toss without a team sheet, match ball, or 3 of his top 6 batsmen at the ground... He inevitably won the toss and elected to bat on a deck that hadn’t seen water for 16 days & if we got some players soon we were eyeing up a 250+ total...

Unfortunately opener Bailey was lost on the A46 and Senior Pro’s Drury & Mark “Strongy” Thatcher were still taking the scenic route but enjoying their “car rally” enormously in Retford (some 10 miles away). In reality, Strongy was actually much closer to us physically than he was mentally after a tough Friday night “popping out for one” with the Boots Rugby Boys, was followed by an even tougher morning at Chez Strong!! As the last players arrived at the ground (in the 7th over!) we had raced to an impressive 10 for 1 with emergency opener Tinno (1) the casualty! Ted (13) and Marc (6) then followed quickly, both with leading edges to leave us on 24 for 3 after 15 overs.

Rocket then strode to the crease and played his normal expansive game, but after hitting the league’s senior (oldest) spinner out of the park once, he holed out off the last ball of the over for 16 and to the only man in the deep when strike retention should have been his priority. This left us at 59 for 4 and we were heading for about half of our 250 target.

Cometh the Hour, cometh the Man, and Druers hobbled out (after his 3 lap warm up – even though it was 30 degrees!!!) armed with his new willow c/o Matt Prior or should I say Beakey’s mate at Sussex CCC. Rich made an immediate impression – by looking identical to fellow tall, skinny and technically correct batting partner Jay Vickers, luckily one was slightly slower at backing up than the other so the lads and Super Shelley could tell them apart! As our first real partnership looked like developing the age difference (and failing hearing) paid dividends as Druers sent Jay back (Jay completing 1 ¾ runs but also losing his wicket) and we were back in the mire at 83 for 5 off 31 overs.

Rich quickly put the mix up behind him and what followed was a pleasure to watch & a great effort against a very consistent and steady bowling attack. Druers and Strongy (34no) put on 100 including 89 in the last 11 overs. Strongy was his usual reliable self and Druers built what was one of the best and most controlled innings of his career, it also contained a huge six that even had his no.1 critic Bobby Baker purring!!! As Druers chased the final batting point he eventually lost his wicket selflessly with 2 balls to spare for a man of the match performing 73 off 74 balls. He was replaced by Bobby who hit 5 from 2 balls to leave us on 190 for 6 at half time.

Although this was probably 30-40 below par, the initiative was in firmly in Keyworth’s favour!
Spirits were high and tea was rated as top notch. Chicken Tikka sandwiches were nice, but the desserts stole the show with fresh fruit, custard doughnuts, bakewell tart, Black Forest gateaux, and raspberry flan a quite astonishing spread. But Boom Boom’s favourite egg custard tarts were the highlight leaving us all even more rotund than normal as we waddled into the field...

With Kitch bowling over one in case we needed to protect the short boundary if it went to the last over an amazing start followed. He got the opener LBW for the first ball of the innings, 0 for 1. Kitch (1 for 29 off 4) then struggled to find his length and had to be warned by the umpire for snatching his cap back too vigorously - tut tut!

Rocket amazingly also got a wicket with his first ball, but then also struggled to find his usual firepower (despite a touch of Tourette's at fine leg much to Baker and Bailey’s amusement). The runs were flowing and it looked like we would need to bowl a confident looking Collingham all out. After 10 overs they had raced to 62 for 2 and the league’s top run scorer and Ex-Minor Counties Lincolnshire pro’ David Pipes was at the crease.

Tinno had misread his match notes and brought on Baker in the 9th over to bowl into the wind.
His tactics started to pay off as both Bobby and Renders (2 for 33 from 7 overs) soon got a wicket each to leave the game in the balance at 75 for 4 of 15 overs.

Dave Hiller-Sister was the day's fielding dunce, clutching at thin air on the boundary, Bobby's face already red from the sun turned a shade of crimson. Taking the pace off the ball looked effective and so Tinno gave Dave Hiller a chance of redemption, replacing Rendu and the two left armers bowled us to a victory much quicker than many would have expected!

The home team's tail hadn’t been required in most of their victories this year and it showed as they collapsed from 107 for 6 to 108 all out.

Dave bowled tightly and deservedly picked up 2 for 22 off 7 overs and Baker claimed 5 for 23 off 9.5 overs. The 9th and 10th wickets were in successive balls to leave him on a hat-trick with his first ball next week...

What was even more amazing is that we actually held some catches, Rendu snaring the dangerous Pipes (38) with a mistimed drive to short extra cover off Baker, and the Big Lad himself took the “show boat” award for an arrogant one handed caught and bowled!

An 82 run victory that was hard earned was very enjoyable.

Everyone headed back to the beautiful Oak Inn at Car Colston for celebratory beers (except the rapidly departing Strong) with the news that selection problems would follow next week (too many to choose from instead of too few for a pleasant change!)

Man of the Match – Rich Drury for smashing the league’s best bowling attack (with the exception of KCC) to all parts...